the origins of contemporary france-1-第9章

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countries　at　the　gates　of　France　in　which　feudal　subjection；　more

burdensome　than　in　France；　seems　lighter　because；　in　the　other　scale；

the　benefits　counterbalance　disadvantages。　　At　Munster；　in　1809；

Beugnot　finds　a　sovereign　bishop；　a　town　of　convents　and　a　large

seigniorial　mansion；　a　few　merchants　for　indispensable　trade；　a　small

bourgeoisie；　and；　all　around；　a　peasantry　composed　of　either　colons　or

serfs。　　The　seignior　deducts　a　portion　of　all　their　crops　in　provisions

or　in　cattle；　and；　at　their　deaths；　a　portion　of　their　inheritances。

If　they　go　away　their　property　revert　to　him。　　His　servants　are

chastised　like　Russian　moujiks；　and　in　each　outhouse　is　a　trestle　for

this　purpose　〃without　prejudice　to　graver　penalties；〃　probably　the

bastinado　and　the　like。　　But　〃never　did　the　culprit　entertain　the

slightest　idea　of　complaint　or　appeal。〃　For　if　the　seignior　whips　them

as　the　father　of　family　he　protects　them　〃as　the　father　of　a　family；

ever　coming　to　their　assistance　when　misfortune　befalls　them；　and

taking　care　of　them　in　their　illness。〃　He　provides　an　asylum　for　them

in　old　age；　he　looks　after　their　widows；　and　rejoices　when　they　have

plenty　of　children。　　He　is　bound　to　them　by　common　sympathies　they　are

neither　miserable　nor　uneasy；　they　know　that；　in　every　extreme　or

unforeseen　necessity；　he　will　be　their　refuge。＇1＇　In　the　Prussian　states

and　according　to　the　code　of　Frederick　the　Great；　a　still　more

rigorous　servitude　is　atoned　for　by　similar　obligations。　　The

peasantry；　without　their　seignior's　permission；　cannot　alienate　a

field；　mortgage　it；　cultivate　it　differently；　change　their　occupation

or　marry。　　If　they　leave　the　seigniory　he　can　pursue　them　in　every

direction　and　bring　them　back　by　force。　　He　has　the　right　of

surveillance　over　their　private　life；　and　he　chastises　them　if　drunk

or　lazy。　　When　young　they　serve　for　years　as　servants　in　his　mansion；

as　cultivators　they　owe　him　corvees　and；　in　certain　places；　three

times　a　week。　　But；　according　to　both　law　and　custom；　he　is　obliged　〃to

see　that　they　are　educated；　to　succor　them　in　indigence；　and；　as　far

as　possible；　to　provide　them　with　the　means　of　support。〃　Accordingly

he　is　charged　with　the　duties　of　the　government　of　which　he　enjoys　the

advantages；　and；　under　the　heavy　hand　which　curbs　them；　but　which

sustains　them；　we　do　not　find　his　subjects　recalcitrant。　　In　England；

the　upper　class　attains　to　the　same　result　by　other　ways。　　There　also

the　soil　still　pays　the　ecclesiastic　tithe；　strictly　the　tenth；　which

is　much　more　than　in　France。＇2＇　The　squire；　the　nobleman；　possesses　a

still　larger　portion　of　the　soil　than　his　French　neighbor　and；　in

truth；　exercises　greater　authority　in　his　canton。　　But　his　tenants；　the

lessees　and　the　farmers；　are　no　longer　his　serfs；　not　even　his

vassals；　they　are　free。　　If　he　governs　it　is　through　influence　and　not

by　virtue　of　a　command。　　Proprietor　and　patron；　he　is　held　in　respect。

Lord…lieutenant；　officer　in　the　militia；　administrator；　justice；　he　is

visibly　useful。　　And；　above　all；　he　lives　at　home；　from　father　to　son；

he　belongs　to　the　district。　　He　is　in　hereditary　and　constant　relation

with　the　local　public　through　his　occupations　and　through　his

pleasures；　through　the　chase　and　caring　for　the　poor；　through　his

farmers　whom　he　admits　at　his　table；　and　through　his　neighbors　whom　he

meets　in　committee　or　in　the　vestry。　　This　shows　how　the　old

hierarchies　are　maintained：　it　is　necessary；　and　it　suffices；　that

they　should　change　their　military　into　a　civil　order　of　things　and

find　modern　employment　for　the　chieftain　of　feudal　times。



II。　　Resident　Seigniors。



　Remains　of　the　beneficent　feudal　spirit。…They　are　not　rigorous

with　their　tenants　but　no　longer　retain　the　local　government。…Their

isolation。…Insignificance　or　mediocrity　of　their　means　of

subsistence。…Their　expenditure。…Not　in　a　condition　to　remit　dues。…

Sentiments　of　peasantry　towards　them。



If　we　go　back　a　little　way　in　our　history　we　find　here　and　there

similar　nobles。＇3＇　Such　was　the　Duc　de　Saint…Simon；　father　of　the

writer；　a　real　sovereign　in　his　government　of　Blaye；　a　respected　by

the　king　himself。　　Such　was　the　grandfather　Mirabeau；　in　his　chateau　of

Mirabeau　in　Provence；　the　haughtiest；　most　absolute；　most　intractable

of　men；　〃demanding　that　the　officers　whom　he　appointed　in　his　regiment

should　be　favorably　received　by　the　king　and　by　his　ministers；〃

tolerating　the　inspectors　only　as　a　matter　of　form；　but　heroic；

generous；　faithful；　distributing　the　pension　offered　to　himself　among

six　wounded　captains　under　his　command；　mediating　for　poor　litigants

in　the　mountain；　driving　off　his　grounds　the　wandering　attorneys　who

come　to　practice　their　chicanery；　〃the　natural　protector　of　man　even

against　ministers　and　the　king。　　A　party　of　tobacco　inspectors　having

searched　his　curate's　house；　he　pursues　them　so　energetically　on

horseback　that　they　hardly　escape　him　by　fording　the　Durance。

Whereupon；　〃he　wrote　to　demand　the　dismissal　of　the　officers；

declaring　that　unless　this　was　done　every　person　employed　in　the

Excise　should　be　driven　into　the　Rhine　or　the　sea；　some　of　them　were

dismissed　and　the　director　himself　came　to　give　him　satisfaction。〃

Finding　his　canton　sterile　and　the　settlers　on　it　idle　he　organized

them　into　groups；　women　and　children；　and；　in　the　foulest　weather；

puts　himself　at　their　head；　with　his　twenty　severe　wounds　and　neck

supported　by　a　piece　of　silver。　　He　pays　them　to　work　making　them　clear

off　the　lands；　which　he　gives　them　on　leases　of　a　hundred　years；　and

he　makes　them　enclose　a　mountain　of　rocks　with　high　walls　and　plant　it

with　olive　trees。　　〃No　one；　under　any　pretext　could　be　excused　from

working　unless　he　was　ill；　and　in　this　case　under　treatment；　or

occupied　on　his　own　property；　a　point　in　which　my　father　could　not　be

deceived；　and　nobody　would　have　dared　to　do　it。〃　These　are　the　last

offshoots　of　the　old；　knotty；　savage　trunk；　but　still　capable　of

affording　shelter。　　Others　could　still　be　found　in　remote　cantons；　in

Brittany　and　in　Auvergne；　veritable　district　commanders；　and　I　am　sure

that　in　time　of　need　the　peasants　would　obey　them　as　much　out　of

respect　as　from　fear。　　Vigor　of　heart　and　of　body　justifies　its　own

ascendancy；　while　the　superabundance　of　energy；　which　begins　in

violence；　ends　in　beneficence。



Less　independent　and　less　harsh　a　paternal　government　subsists

elsewhere；　if　not　in　the　law　at　least　through　custom。　　In　Brittany；

near　Tréguier　and　Lannion；　says　the　bailiff　of　Mirabeau；＇4＇　〃the　entire

staff　of　the　coast…guard　is　composed　of　people　of　quality　and　of　stock

going　back　a　thousand　years。　　I　have　not　seen　one　of　them　get　irritated

with　a　peasant…soldier；　while；　at　the　same　time；　I　have　seen　on　the

part　of　the　latter　an　air　of　filial　respect　for　them　。　　。　　。　　。　　It　is　a

terrestrial　paradise　with　respect　to　patriarchal　manners；　simplicity

and　true　grandeur；　the　attitude　of　the　peasants　towards　the　seigniors

is　that　of　an　affectionate　son　with　his　father；　and　the　seigniors　in

talking　with　the　peasants　use　their　rude　and　coarse　language；　and

speak　only　in　a　kind　and　genial　way。　　We　see　mutual　regard　between

masters　and　servants。〃　Farther　south；　in　the　Bocage；　a　wholly

agricultural　region；　and　with　no　roads；　where　ladies　are　obliged　to

travel　on　horseback　and　in　ox…carts；　where　the　seignior　has　no

farmers；　but　only　twenty…five　or　thirty　métayers　who　work　for　him　on

shares；　the　supremacy　of　the　great　is　no　offense　to　their　inferiors。

People　live　together　harmoniously　when　living　together　from　birth　to

death；　familiarly；　and　with　the　same　interests；　occupations　and

pleasures；　like　soldiers　with　their　officers；　on　campaigns　and　under

tents；　in　subordination　although　in　companionship；　familiarity　never

endangering　respect。　　〃The　seignior　often　visits　them　on　their　small

farms；＇5＇　talks　with　them　about　their　affairs；　about　taking　care　of

their　cattle；　sharing　in　the　accidents　and　mishaps　which　likewise

seriously　affect　him。　　He　attends　their　children's　weddings　and　drinks

with　the　guests。　　On　Sunday　there　are　dances　in　the　chateau　court；　and

the　ladies　take　part　in　them。〃　When　he　is　about　to　hunt　wolves　or

boars　the　curate　gives　notice　of　it　in　the　sermon；　the　peasants；　with

their　guns　gaily　assemble　at　the　rendezvous；　finding　the　seignior　who

assigns　them　their　posts；　and　strictly　observing　the　directions　he

gives　them。　　Here　are　soldiers　and　a　captain　ready　made。　　A　little

later；　and　of　their　own　accord；　they　will　choose　him　for　commandant　in

the　national　guard；　mayor　of　the　commune；　chief　of　the　insurrection；

and；　in　1792；　the　marksmen　of　the　parish　are　to　march　under　him

against　〃　the　blues〃　as；　at　this　epoch　against　the　wolves。　　Such　are

the　remnants　of　the　good　feudal　spirit；　like　the　scattered　remnants　of

a　submerged　continent。　　Before　Louis　XIV。；　the　spectacle　was　similar

throughout　France。　　〃The　rural　nobility　of　former　days；〃　says　the

Marquis　de　Mirabeau；　〃spent　too　much　time　over　their　cups；　slept　on

old　chairs　or　pallets；　mounted　and　started　off　to　hunt　before

daybreak；　met　together　on　St。　　Hubert's；　and　did　not　part　until　after

the　octave　of　St。　　Martin's。　　。　　。　　。　　These　nobles　led　a　gay　and　hard

life；　voluntarily；　costing　the　State　very　little；　and　producing　more

through　its　residence　and　manure　than　we　of　today　with　our　tastes；　our

researches；　our　cholics　and　our　vapors　。　　。　　The　custom；　and　it　may　be

said；　the　obsession　of　making　presents　to　the　seigniors；　is　well

known。　　I　have；　in　my　lifetime；　seen　this　custom　everywhere　disappear；

and　rightly　so　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　seigniors　are　no　longer　of　any　consequence

to　them；　is　quite　natural　that　they　should　be　forgotten　by　them　as

they　forget　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　seignior　being　no　longer　known　on　his　estates

everybody　pillages　him；　which　is　right。〃＇6＇　Everywhere；　except　in　remote

comers；　the　affection　and　unity　of　the　two　classes　has　disappeared；

the　shepherd　is　separated　from　his　flock；　and　pastors　of　the　people

end　in　being　considered　its　parasites。



Let　us　first　follow　them　into　the　provinces。　　We　here　find　only　the

minor　class　of　nobles　and　a　portion　of　those　of　medium　rank；　the　rest

are　in　Paris。＇7＇　There　is　the　same　line　of　separation　in　the　church：

abbés…commendatory；　bishops　and　archbishops　very　seldom　live　at　home。

The　grand…vicars　and　canons　live　in　　the　large　towns；　only　priors　and

curates　dwell　in　the　rural　districts。　　Ordinarily　the　entire

ecclesiastic　or　lay　staff　is　absent；　residents　are　furnished　only　by

the　secondary　or　inferior　grades。　　What　are　their　relations　with　the

peasant？　One　point　is　certain；　and　that　is　that　they　are　not　usually

hard；　nor　even　indifferent；　to　him。　　Separated　by　rank　they　are　not　so

by　distance；　neighborhood　is　of　itself　a　bond　among　men。　　I　have　read

in　vain；　but　I　have　not　found　them　the　rural　tyrants；　which　the

declaimers　of　the　Revolution　portray　them。　　Hau